Selector



March so, 1948. B, OTH 2,438,825

SELECTOR Filed June 16, 1945 i: INVENTOR HTTORNEYS Patented Mar. 30, 1948 SELECTOR" Bert W. Roth, Riverdale, N. Y., assignor to Trans- Lux Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 16, 1945, Serial No. 599,852

character presenting a structure'alternative to that disclosed in my prior application for United States patent on Controller, filed July 27, 1944, and identified under the Serial Number 546,884.

It is a primary object of the invention to fur nish a mechanism of this character and which will require but minimum power tooperate, Accordingly, the demands in this connection may be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, if a standard mechanism is employed as'the basic operatin unit of an assembly such as is taught herein, the usual motive force incorporated in this unit will suffice to cause a functioning of the controller.

This is aside from the fact that wear of the parts will be reduced to a minimum. Also, with small power requirements, noise of operation will likewise be reduced, thus avoiding annoyances in this connection.

An additional object is that of furnishing a designed.

Another object is that of furnishing a unit of this type which will be extremely positive in its functioning. Therefore, errors attributable to the operation of the mechanism will be reduced to a minimum, aside from the fact that service requirements will also be reduced.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view diagrammatically showing a layout of apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view thereof.

A primary operating mechanism such as preferably forms a part of the present unit may be of the nature shown in the prior United States patent to Kleinschmidt, 1,448,750, of March 20,

1923, or Noxon et a1., 2,252,232, of August 12, 1941.

Reference is herein had to disclosures such as are embodied in these patents in order that the complete controller unit herein contemplated may be visualized. This is especially true in view of the fact that, with a view to avoiding unnecessary illustration, the structures shown in these patents have not been included in the present drawin s except in a very general manner.

Thus, in the drawings, the reference numeral 9Claims. (c1.250-41.5)

5 indicates selector bars. The reference numeral 6 indicates the shift mechanism which forms a part of units as illustrated in the afore mentioned patents. No attempt has been made to illustrate the code bars, magnets, selector bars, drop-in bars, etc, etc, and by means'of which a perforated tape associated with the transmitter causes a predetermined operation of the conventional mechanism. Suffice it to say that any desired form of such mechanism may be employed and by means of which, in response to electrical impulses usually transmitted by wire, a certain selected bar or equivalent unit is caused to shift.

If a number of examples of the manner in which the mechanism of the present invention may be associated with the mechanism of a more or less standard unit are to be visualized in. detail, reference is had to my earlier application in which such illustration is made. Likewise, as disclosed in that application, as well as in the Unkles et a1. Patent 2,343,594, dated March 7, 1944, and entitled Sign control and system, an apparatus is described, the operations of which may be governed by a control mechanism such as is embraced in the present invention. At the same time, it will be understood that other mechanisms might likewise be governed by this controller. Therefore, except where otherwise indicated in the appended claims, such a particular combination is to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

Preferably, however, bars I, functioning as ac-- tuating or letter, character or numeral bars are embodied as part of the apparatus. These bars are shifted as bars 5 are'moved. There being twenty-six letters in the alphabet, it is preferred that twenty-six bars 1 be employed. Certain of these bars will perform a dual function as hereinafter brought out. This will be in order that, for example, ten reference numerals and certain characters may be provided for. These additional symbols of indicia may obviously be accommodated without having each of the bars I of a dual nature. Therefore, by providing twenty-six bars 1, a more than adequate number of elements is furnished to provide for all of the letters of the alphabet, numerals, and symbols which may in any given instance be necessary,

Preferably, the actuating bars are arranged in a vertically extending bank. Supports 8 and 9 may define opposite ends of this bank. It is intended that, contrary to the teachings embodied in my prior application, the desired functional results are not achieved in the present controller by the actuating bars directly throwing switches.

Rather, it is proposed that these actuating bars serve to establish or interrupt light rays which are directed against light sensitive units such as photo-electric cells. Thus, depending upon whether these cells are energized or de-energized (according to the particular hook-up of an apparatus) units such as the elements of a, settin head as identifiedin, the heretoforereferred to Unkles et a1 patent may be actuated. In viewof the fact that in that patent thirty-five elements are provided as a unit or group of contacts, the resent controller has been shown as embodying a series of controls harmonious or related in number to such elements. As will be appreciated, this is merely for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment and a greater or lesser number of controls or units might be embodied.

Thus, the numeral l9 indicates photo-electric cells. complication, only thirty-five of such cells are provided. Light rays-may passto the individual cells, either through a, tubeor a branch tube i2. Thelatter being conveniently ofiset,.it is provided with a reflector I3 serving to divert light rays to .thelight-sensitive unit Ill. This reflector, which may take any desired form, has been indicated by the reference numeral l3. The support .9 may be provided with apertures H5 in line with the tubes H and 12 respectively and throughwhich light rays may pass.

Theopposite support 8 is conveniently provided with mountingelements (not shown) which serve to carry suitable lens elements l5. These elements correspond in number to the number of tubes and I2 and are so arranged as to direct light rays into the apertures I l whenthe space between the supports 8 and 9 is unobstructed. Conveniently beyond the supports-8, sources of illumination are mounted. These preferably inelude-neon tubes I6 and I6 beyond which reflectors 'l'fl are disposed.

Each-of-the actuating bars I carries shutters l 8. These ,may be in the form of transversely extending bladesor arms. The shutters on each of the bars are disposed in certain predetermined permutations. Accordingly, when a given bar is aotuated, light rays from one or the other source lt'and It? will beobstructed in their passage toward the aperture I l-or else be free to enter such aperturesaccording to the design of the apparatus. In the present'layout of the controller, it is intended that with light rays passing to the photo-cells ID, no operation of the elements or units connected to the latter will occur. This will happen only when such light rays are interrupted. As is obvious, however, insteadof securing operation by do-energizing the light-sensitive cells or elements, the lay-out might be re-designed so that the desired results would be achieved by energizing the cells.

As diagrammatically indicated, each of the cells It is connectedby separate leads it} to units to be controlled. Included in these units are amplifying devices as, for example, thyratron tubes and transformers. Inview of the fact that elements oiithis type are well known, it is unnecessary to illustrate them. The sources of illumination-are connected by leads 2!] with a source of current supply 2|. A switch 22 is connected to the shift mechanism 6. This switch is coupled to the leads Zilso that, according to its position, one or the other of the tubes is energized by the source 2|. Again; it 'isintended that the light rays passing-through the tubes l2 may control, for example, the-creation-ofdndicia symbols. The

In order to avoid unnecessary expense and light rays passing through the tubes ll may control the formation of letters. The shutters or blades I8 extending from one or both faces of each of the actuating bars I will be arranged accordingly. As will be apparent by an alternative arrangement, the light rays passing through the tubes Ii might provide for numerals and symbols while the light rays passing-through tubes I? might provide for, the letters. ,Also. inthe event that the controller is not connected to a sign unit similar in function to that described in the Unkles etal. patent, other desirable circuits might be included in or arranged beyond the selector mechanism of the present invention.

Witha. layout ;of. apparatus such as the present, it will--be apparent that with the bars 5 or their equivalents operating to periodically elevate or shift one of the actuating bars 1, the lightsensitive units or cells It] will be energized or de-energized. This will occur, of course, only with respecttoselected. cells and according to the permutations pf light-obstructing elements or blades .lfl associated with any given bar. As aforebrought outand withthe parts in a condition'of rest, light rays will berree to pass from the particular tube which hasheenIenergized through to all ,ofrtheelements ,l 0. The energization oi the-partifiular tubewill depend upon the position ofthe switch ,mechanism 6..-controlling the switch 22. Assuming the latter. to be in a certain position; then the.-eley at ion or other movement of; the particular actuating bar 1 will causelthelight rays .to selected photocells to be interrupted. Therefore, the circuits extending from thosecells will be-afiected .and

the mechanisms-connected to these circuits will in turn be caused to operate. With the return of the actuating bar toits normal position, the light rays will again be free to pass through'to the entire bank of photo-cells 19, The. actuation of a subsequent bar .willcause a difierentpermutation of photo-cells to be affected by the interruption of the passage Of light rays thereto. Again, a desired-functioning .of themechanisms connected to-the. circuits will follow. If, now, a shift occurs, the. switch '22 will be moved. This will result in ade-energizatiouof the tube which has heretofore been energized and an energiza-.

fl zand.rearrangementsoi the parts might be vresortedto w'thout departing from thespirit of e i venti nxasid fined be laim laim;

1. Aselector includingin combination a series of lightesensitive1 elements,- a source of light ar rangedto, act on :said elements, a plurality of actuating members mounted- .for reciprocation, and different;permutations of units fixedly associated with said members and movable to interrupt and permit the passage of light rays'to; said elements.

2. A selector includingin combination a series i.li h ns tivee ments. a sume of ght ranged to act on said elements, a plurality of actuating members mounted for reciprocation, two series of units fixedly associated with certain of said members, each of said series being arranged in a different predetermined permutation, and means for reciprocating said actuating members to render either of said series operative to interrupt and permit the passage of light rays to said elements.

3. A selector including in combination a. series of light-sensitive elements, a source of light arranged to act on said elements, a plurality of actuating members mounted for reciprocation, two series of units fixedly associated with certain of said members, each of said series being arranged in a different predetermined permutation, and means for reciprocating said actuating members to render either of said series operative to interrupt and permit the passage of light rays to said elements upon the actuating member carrying the same being moved; said light-sensitive elements being in excess of the number to the number of units associated with an actuating member.

4. A selector including in combination a series of reciprocating actuating members, permutations of light-obscuring units associated with at least certain of said members, a series of lightsensitive elements, means defining a light path past one permutation of units and towards said elements, means defining a second light path past a second permutation of said units, and means for directing light rays down one only of said paths.

5. A selector including in combination a series of actuating members, permutations of lightobscuring units fixedly associated with at least certain of said members, a series of light-sensitive elements, means defining a light path past one permutation of units and towards said elements, means defining a second light pathipast a second permutation of said units, means for directing light rays down one of said paths, and shift means for selecting the path to be followed by said light rays.

6. A selector including in combination a series of actuating members, permutations of lightobscuring units associated with at least certain of said, members, a series of light-sensitive elements, means defining a light path past one permutation of units and towards said elements, means defining a second light path past a second permutation of said units, a pair of light sources, one for each of said paths, and a shiftable switch connected to said light source to alternately energize one only of the same.

7. A selector including in combination a single group of light-sensitive elements, said elements being connectable to the units of a controller to create, by means of the mechanism of the latter, indicia such as numerals and letters, actuating members mounted for reciprocation, two groups of light-obstructing means fixedly carried by at least certain of said actuating members and providing for the creation of either of said types of indicia, a source of illumination beyond said actuating members and directed towards said light-sensitive elements, and means whereby said single group of elements may respond to movement of either of the groups of light-obstructing means associated with any given actuating member.

8. A selector including in combination a row of light-sensitive elements, actuating members mounted for reciprocatory movements in ad- Vance of and to one side of said elements, permutations of light-obscuring units mounted one by each of said members, and the permutations of said units on difierent members differing from each other, a source of illumination arranged beyond said units and directed towards said elements, and means for reciprocating said members.

9. A selector including in combination a row of light-sensitive elements, actuating members mounted for reciprocatory movements in advance of and to one side of said elements, permutations of light-obscuring units mounted one by each of said members, and the permutations of said units on different members differing from each other, a source of illumination arranged beyond said units and directed towards said elements, means for reciprocating said members, further permutations of light-obscuring units mounted by and extending from certain of said members, and means whereby light from said source may be obstructed by said further group of obscuring units.

BERT W. ROTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

